Prehispanic
The ceramic constitutes the most important and better archaeological evidence preserved in
the locations corresponding to sedentary and generally agricultural towns of the period
neoindio (1000 to. C. -1500 d. C). As the use of the metal, great quantity of utensils it was
not known and ritual objects of that time were elaborated with clay. This is a material that
resists the step of the time and the waste taken place by the natural elements. The origin of
the technology alfarera is not still known in America; however, some authors like Meggers,
Evans and Estrada (1965), they have suggested that this has an Asian origin and that it was
diffused in American territory by transpacific contacts. Other archaeologists (Lathrap,
1968) they are awaiting new evidences the possible independent invention that could have
this technology in America to highlight. The earliest evidence in the use of the pottery in
the American continent (more than 3.000 years to. C.) it comes from the Ecuadorian coast
(Lathrap, 1975) and of Puerto Hormiga, Colombia (Reichel-Dolmatoff, 1965). The
opposing discoveries suggest the existence of a technology well developed alfarera, for
what is probable to find places where a technological experimentation is evidenced that is
even earlier. In Venezuela, 2 ceramic places have provided dates corresponding to the third
millennium to. C.: Hairy ranch (Edo. Zulia; Rouse and Cruxent, 1966) and The Grotto
(south of the Edo. Guárico; Roosevelt A., 1978). However, recent studies have questioned
these dates so early (Zucchi, Tarble and Vaz, 1984 and Vargas, 1981). It was only around
the 1.000 years to. C., when the pottery associated to the agriculture extended to the rest of
the territory. With the development of the agriculture or intensive exploitation of the natural
resources, changes were introduced in the pattern of subsistence and modifications in the
lifestyle of the prehispanic towns; there were a bigger sedentarismo, demographic increases
and an increment in the variety and quantity of ceramic devices. The weight, volume and
fragility of the vessels were factors that influenced to avoid the use of the pottery on the
part of the nomadic groups. With the result that the sedentarización brought I get the
adoption of this technology. The changes happened in the diet by the new cultivations made
necessary the elaboration of new implementos to store, to cook and to serve foods. The
ceramic, when resisting the heat, to conserve the fresh liquids, and to be waterproof, she/he
responded efficiently to these more necessities that the cestería recipients, wood and
pumpkin of common use. Although the great majority of the ceramic flowerpots found in
the locations corresponds to vessels of practical use (pots, bottles, bowls, cups, plates,
budares, jars, materos, strainers, tapas and topias), the clay was also not only for the before
Columbus towns a means of artistic expression in the objects of use newspaper but in those
dedicated to the ceremonial activities. It is necessary to highlight that when referring to the
prehispanic societies, it is incongruous to separate the spiritual world and the daily world.
The cosmovisión indigenous permeaba all the activities, and the symbols used in the artistic
expression, generally corresponded to this vision and they reinforced it. For that reason, it
is probable that the designs used in the ceramic, including the pottery for practical use, they
had a symbolic value besides the ornamental one. Certain devices, as the figures zoomorfas
and anthropomorphous, the incensarios (Wagner, 1972), the maracas, the funeral urns, etc.,
however, they seem to have had a function highly ceremonial. Some of these pieces have a
high aesthetic value (Boulton, 1978). The clay was also used for personal embellecimiento
(you count, pintaderas, orejeras) to manufacture musical instruments, pipes, toys, spindle
weights used to spin cotton, records, weights for the fishing nets, etc. has been
archaeological evidences and etnohistóricas that indicate that some groups, besides
manufacturing ceramic for the consumption of its own community, specialized in the
production alfarera with exchange ends. This way, that of the otomacos of the half Orinoco
arrived to the groups llaneros who appreciated these pots to cook the turtle oil (Morey,
1975). You can infer in the archaeological locations that there was trade when finding
anomalous flowerpots, different to the ceramic elaborated in the place.

It manufactures: In the prehispanic Venezuela the lathe and the mold were ignored, ceramic
techniques that are generally associated with a massive production. Most of the before
Columbus ceramic in the country was a domestic product, generally elaborated by women
(Linné, 1965) who transmitted those techniques to the following generations. It is probable
that in certain cultures before Columbus Venezuelans outstanding artisans that specialized
in the production alfarera in an exclusive way arose. Each one of the stages of the process
of factory of a ceramic piece (preparation of the pasta, construction, decoration and
cooking) it requires special technical knowledge that have left perfecting through the time.
The preparation of the pasta begins with the selection and gathering of the clay in deposits
chosen by its purity, humidity, color, etc. (Osborn A., 1979). After to eliminate the sludges
and to knead the clay, some desgrasante type is generally added (antiplástico) to avoid that
the piece you encoja and crack during the drying process and cooking. In Venezuela, some
of the materials used with this end are: sand, crushed stone, milled shells, milled
flowerpots, fibers, burnt barks, caraipé, a rich ash in silica coming from the bark of certain
trees of the Rosy family [Linné, 1965] and the esponjilla of sweet water (cauixí: the spicule
of a sponge of sweet water, Parmula batesii Crankcase and Tubella reticulata Crankcase).
The type of elected desgrasante for the potters largely depended on the readiness of
materials. The employment of milled shells, for example, was more common near the sea.
The sponge of sweet water whose silica offers to the artisan different advantages, is only in
the riversides of certain rivers, although it could arrive to other areas through the trade nets.
It has been suggested that in Venezuela the elaboration of a ceramic piece was made by
means of the modeling one direct of a clay piece and through the superimposición of clay
buns, united until reaching the wanted form (Cruxent, 1980). To treat the surfaces they
were employees diverse such procedures as the alisamiento, the one rasped with some
curved object (for example, a piece of it covered or wood), the pulitura with different
degrees of shine, by means of a rounded cobble and finally, the employment of a bathroom
of very fine clay diluted in water, denominated engobe, which can also be refined. In the
prehispanic America the technique of the was not known «glaze», very common in the
ceramic of the East and of the Old World (Shepard, 1954). Some ceramic pieces present in
the base or in the inferior part of the paunch, impressions of cesterías fabrics or braided,
achieved by means of the pressure of these materials on the humid clay during the factory
process. A rough surface could be an advantage for an utilitarian vessel, since it would slide
less and it could absorb the heat of the vent with more speed due to its biggest effective
surface (Linné, 1965). The before Columbus potters of the Venezuelan territory used an
entire range of technical ornamental that include the painting (monochrome, bicromas and
polichrome); the modeling one (geometric appendixes, zoomorfas or anthropomorphous,
you roast, paws, figurinas, etc.); the appliqué (you throw, bellboys, geometric
representations and zoomorfas in bajorrelieve: frogs, snakes, tigers, etc.); the incision made
with different technical (fine, wide, flat, deep, executed before or after drying off the
vessel, with an infinity of rectilinear, curvilinear or figurative expressions); the division, in
which you/they are lowered certain areas of the design (generally in combination with
decoration incises); you impress made with the fingernails, with the fingers, with tube, with
shell fragments, with seeds, with fabrics, etc., and multiple combinations of these
techniques (Cruxent and Rouse, 1961). Once elaborated and decorated the vessel, allowed
to dry off to subject it to the fire. Up to now in Venezuela, they have not been discovered
before Columbus ovens for the ceramic and one shows off that the pieces were exposed to
the heat for the cooking in open quemaderos, similar to those that have been described for
current groups that still manufacture traditional pottery (Acosta Saignes, 1964; Osborn,
1979).

Analysis: As the clay it is an extremely plastic material, the factors that govern the
completed product are predominantly of functional or aesthetic nature, reason why they
reflect the specific necessities and the stylistic norms characteristic of each community. The
ceramic styles or recurrent combinations of ceramic features characteristic to a group in a
restricted area and in a limited period, they spread to be resistant to the changes. For that
reason, as well as the linguist uses the phonemes and morphemes to classify languages and
to demonstrate interrelation degrees, the archaeologists use the ceramic to reconstruct space
relationships and storms of the groups in the past. These analyses can be made in different
scales: to level of attributes or ways (for example, such isolated elements as the decorations
in mamelón form, the spicule desgrasante, etc.); to level of combinations of attributes or
types (for example, the reddish pasta, the refined surface or the decoration incises); at level
of ceramic collections coming from a certain place (the styles or potteries are defined by
the characteristic features of the place: shell desgrasante, rectilinear decoration incises and
colored, base ring and big urns); and at level of groups of similar and supposedly related
styles, that is to say, series or traditions whose extension space-storm is wider (Rouse,
1973; Tarble, 1977).

Distribution in Venezuela: Cruxent and Rouse (1961) they settled down for Venezuela 10
ceramic series, which form the basic outline to explain the development, expansion and the
diverse contacts among the aboriginal residents of the time neoindia. Later works have
enlarged this outline, providing detailed information on local and regional developments. It
is possible to highlight certain tendencies in the development of the production prehispanic
alfarera in the Venezuelan territory. As different authors they have pointed out it (Osgood
and Howard, 1943; Rouse and Cruxent, 1966), the ceramic production reflects a certain
cultural dicotomía between the occident and the east, which corresponds, in turn, to 2 main
sources of external influence, since the occident participated of the cultural patterns of you
Walk them central and Mesoamérica (with a subsistence based on the cultivation of the
corn or the potato) while the east presented cultural features that indicate influences and
contacts with Amazonia and the Antilles (whose subsistence was based primarily in the
cultivation of the yucca, Manihot esculenta G.) marked differences Exist among the
ceramic of these regions. In the occident they are common the bases with hollow paws and
the ring ones high with or without perforation, the simple or hollow borders, the incision
with not very modeling and the painting bicroma or polichrome on a white bottom. In east,
on the other hand, the pottery is characterized by simple bases or with low and solid rings,
borders with lash, handles vertical acintadas, painting target on red, decorations modeling-
parentheses, as well as figures incorporated in the walls of the vessel (Rouse and Cruxent,
1966). This dicotomía is more evident in the early period (1000 to. C. - 300 d. C.), during
which the styles are very defined, they are distinctive of the regions to each other and they
evidence a high isolation degree among the different communities. It was during this period
when some of the maximum technical and aesthetic expressions of the aboriginal ceramic
took place: pedestal plates and vessels with polichrome painting of the series osoide (Edo.
Barinas), anthropomorphous figurinas and ceremonial vessels of the style Santa Ana (Edo.
Trujillo), and of the series tocuyanoide (Edo. Lara). In the east we find ceramic it dies
colored of the style saladoide and modeling vessels you incise and very elaborated of the
series barrancoide (Edo. Monagas). Starting from 300 d. C., approximately, the ceramic
reflects a bigger contact intergrupal, represented so much in the presence of trade
flowerpots like for the stylistic innovations that can end up forming hybrid styles with
multiple roots. This period is also characterized by a demographic growth that possibly
generates migrations, which are perceived through the space-temporary distribution of the
different ceramic styles. For example, in the south of the country a new series, the
arauquinoide, is introduced whose cauixí desgrasante indicates a possibly amazon origin.
This ceramic style with fine and deep incision, in oblique rectilinear reasons, ends up
replacing or to exercise changes about other styles in a vast sector that includes the western
plains, the region of Valencia and the whole course of the river Orinoco (Zucchi, 1978).
Around the 1000 d. C., very flowing, predominant curvilinear changes are observed that are
substituted by the rectilinear ones parallel and in comb form, which indicate a strong
influence from Colombia (Reichel-Dolmatoff, 1954). During this period it happens a
coastal expansion of the series dabajuroide characterized by the fabric impression in the
bases, pots with necks corrugados, hollow paws and red painting or quarter note on white.
This series probably has its origin in the area of Hairy Ranch (Edo. Zulia). In the east the
expansion of the series saladoide took place toward the coast (Vargas, 1979), as well as the
later one influences barrancoide on this ceramic, which is manifested in the adoption of
new incision modalities and modeling. In the smallest and bigger Antilles they are so much
ceramic of the series saladoide like other, later, with influence barrancoide that are
indicative of migrations colonizadoras coming from mainland. Four of the late series
(1000-1400 d. C.): 1) Ocumaroide, of the central coast; 2) campomoide, of the oriental
coast; 3) memoide, of the plains and central coast, and 4) the guayabitoide, of the oriental
coast, they exemplify a tendency toward the miscegenation of styles, and in 2 o'clock last,
she/he shows the aesthetic degeneration of the late ceramic of the country. During this time,
the cultural dicotomía mentioned previously attenuates, being elements «western» and
«oriental» cocktails in diverse ways in different ceramic styles. For example, in Campoma
(Edo. Sucre) Wagner (1977) she/he found elements colored western and modeling center-
oriental parentheses, besides a mixed subsistence evidenced by the presence of hands and
metates to mill corn and budares for the cooking of the casabe cakes. The European
conquest rebounded strongly in the ceramic production of the country. On one hand, they
appear in the late locations of indigenous populations, such flowerpots of European factory
as the mayólica, pitchers of olives, lacquered recipients and Chinese porcelain (Rouse and
Cruxent, 1966). On the other hand, in you commend them and missions, the aboriginal
ceramic survives, which suffers a marked simplification due to several factors: 1) the
missionaries pagans considered the indigenous representations and for ende, they
prohibited them; 2) the Europeans were only interested in the aboriginal ceramic for
utilitarian ends, that which reduced the range of variety before produced, and 3) the
European diet, with emphasis in grains, broths and stews, it would have affected the forms
and thickness of the vessels, since they should support for more time the heat of the vent
(García Arévalo, 1978). These examples of the changes suffered by the ceramic in the
period indohispano are good to illustrate that, besides providing information on people's
témporo-space distribution that produced it, the ceramic it is also lent for studies of the
sociocultural reconstruction of the towns. Of her it can be derived information on
establishment patterns, subsistence, storage technology and preparation of foods,
organization and social diferenciación, wardrobe aspects, ritual, symbolism and trade
(Tarble 1977, 1980). K.T.
XVI-XVIII centuries
The pleasure that was developed by the ceramic, during the time colonial Venezuelan, it
was varied. The county of Venezuela was exposed to diverse influences through the
external trade. When the first cities of the country were founded, in the XVI century, the
used ceramic came, in its biggest part, of Spanish alfares. Later on, during the XVII
century, the potteries of Holland appeared and of Mexico, together with some Chinese
porcelains. These last ones got paid more and more importance, since they were in fashion
in Europe. When concluding the XVIII century the imports of Chinese porcelain they were
progressively displaced, although not completely, for the French potteries and Englishmen.
The local production should also be pointed out and the one that arrived of Cartagena and
Sacred Domingo.

Pottery of Spain: The first historical reference on Hispanic ceramic cared Venezuela, is
given in the story of Christopher Columbus third trip (1498). The excavations made
between 1955 and 1961 by J.M. Cruxent, in New Cádiz, they have revealed infinity of
fragments of potteries and tiles sevillanos. Among the second half of the XVII century and
until the second decade of the following century, as the American alfares multiplied,
especially in Puebla, the Spanish ceramic import diminished; maybe it also contributed this,
the isolation in that she/he was the county of Venezuela then. Toward 1730, the Compañía
Guipuzcoana gave a new impulse to the import of Spanish potteries. The ceramic sevillana
was, like it was said, the one that it was cared regularly from the XVI century until the
moment of the Independence. Of the alfares sevillanos potteries of domestic use didn't only
arrive also but tiles and olabrillas. Together with these imports they arrived pieces of
Talavera of the Queen, Bridge of the Archbishop, Alcora, Valencia and Catalonia equally.
Of Talavera they arrived an infinity of pieces, especially lebrillos, indispensable tackle in
the housing and in the churches of the time. Multiple technical (of production and
ornamental) they were employees in the pieces that arrived to the country. Among them,
the most important was the covered ceramic for enamel estannífero; others were: that of dry
rope, basin or edge, metallic reflection. Certainly, all they required of the use of the lathe
and of the western oven. The ornamental topics are very varied and representative of the
transformations that suffered the Peninsula. The imports continued, although not so
frequent, during the War of Independence. After this, in 1821, this exchange disappeared.
Pottery of the earth: The origin of the ceramic Venezuelan postcolombina had its roots in
the aboriginal ceramic. However, the solid tradition alfarera brought by the Spaniards
affected the indigenous methods. The lathe, the oven and the lead enamels and come tin of
the Peninsula, they were implanted progressively in American territory. Although in the
near areas to the new cities dominated the techniques and cared forms, there were places in
that the indigenous tradition was very ingrained. Some Creole forms also accuse the
miscegenation, for example, the botijuelas, many locerías opened up at the same time that
you would knit them, when settling down firmly certain cities. It is known that when
concluding the XVII century, some locerías of Caracas was operating, since their products
were in houses matters, according to they prove it the inventories that you/they speak of
these as «earth pottery» or «Creole pottery». This «pottery» it is mainly represented by
tinajas, pans, múcuras, curacas, lebrillos, jars, tiles, etc. The technique of production was
simple, it consisted on the use of the local clay or of the proximities, of the lathe in most of
the cases (I save in the factory of tiles, bricks, etc.), of a single cochura and in very special
occasions, of a monochrome or marbled glaze. Starting from the second half of the XVIII
century, the local locerías had not only intensified their production but rather this was more
refined and more varied. When concluding the XVIII century the importance it is noticed
that has won the «pottery of the earth» because, besides utilitarian pieces, creó such
ornamental objects as the pinnacles of mud glaze that finished off the cornices of houses
and churches.

Pottery of Cartagena and of Sacred Domingo: Documents and testaments speak of the
existence of «cartaxena flagstone». This proves that in Cartagena (Colombia), there was a
center locero of some importance whose existence is even unknown for the archaeologists.
Other documents refer to «pottery of Sacred Domingo». Possibly, some copies were cared
Venezuela through the Compañía Guipuzcoana of Caracas, since so much Sacred Domingo
as Cartagena was points forced for that trade.

Snail pottery and flint pottery: It is ignored technically which the type of denominated
pottery was of «snail», which appears with certain frequency in the inventories from
Caracas of the last 30 years of the XVIII century. Can little be said on the one of «flint»;
however, is it known that it was a variety of «opaque pottery» (maybe sandstone?), very
resistant that took their name of the spark stone that she/he entered in their composition.

Pottery of Mexico: The quantity of pottery that exported the viceroyalty from New Spain to
the county of Venezuela was considerable. The trade of potteries between Mexico and
Venezuela arose soon after of the establishment of different locerías in that country, in the
XVI century. The main import that Venezuela received came from Puebla of The Ángeles.
Then they competed, those of Jalapa, Guadalajara, Patamban and Campeche. Almost all the
shipments left Veracruz. The great quantity of Venezuelan cocoa going to that port,
contributed in certain way to the development of the industry Mexican locera; so it is so in
the alfares of Puebla it ended up being made a special cup that she/he called himself
«pozuelo from Caracas». The types of pieces that more they were cared of Mexico they
were: lebrillos, tinajas, botijuelas, plates, pozuelos, bowls, cups, jars, carafes, vases or
vessels made with the clay of the same name, tiles and pharmacy pots. The technique
employee in the production of these was that of Spanish tradition, managed with master and
enriched by indigenous hands and mestizos. The characteristic topics were generally human
figures or surrounded animals of a flora imaginary or simply skilled ornamental pincelazos,
sometimes of Spanish and other influence, of Chinese influence.

Chinese porcelain: In Hispanic America the Chinese porcelain was known soon after the
foundation of Manila (1571), because of there they left every year 30 to 40 ships heading
for Acapulco. Of there the loads went to Veracruz, from where they passed to other Spanish
colonies of the Caribbean. In that time the first samples arrived from that art to the county
of Venezuela; they prove it the flowerpots found in the old New Cádiz. The pieces of
Chinese porcelain that you/they were cared Venezuela were not of special responsibility but
rather they arrived through the trade with Mexico or, through the Dutch islands of Curazao
and Bonaire that received them from Europe. During the XVII century Venezuela scarcely
cared Chinese porcelain. She/he was necessary to wait the principle of the following
century, when the interest of Spain reborns for the oriental world, so that she/he woke up in
Venezuela the pleasure for him «Chinese». The foundation of the Compañía Guipuzcoana
(1728), it contributed vastly to the import of these arts of the fire. The inventories of the
testamentarías, mainly those of the XVIII century, they have evidenced the growing interest
that the Venezuelan showed for the oriental porcelain. The imports of principles of the
XVIII century understood, mainly, pozuelos with their plates, for the tea or the chocolate
or, some plates and big plates to serve. By the middle of the same century, the games of tea
appeared and later, those of coffee. The vases, tibores and the decoration figures were in
general scarce. In Europe the aristocratic families used to take charge the pieces and they
sent to China the models of their pleasure; frequently they requested the representation of
heraldic emblems. In Venezuela there were not responsibility chinas, except for those that
some families brought of Spain, through the Company of Spanish India; the pleasure that
was imposed in the Chinese porcelain of export, was the European; they demonstrate this
way it the copies conserved in Venezuela. The styles in those that classifies it to him,
especially those of the XVIII century, go associated to the procedures. For example, the
employment of the oxide of cobalt low enamel gave place to the called porcelains «blue
and white». That of style imari shows the combined application of the low blue it enamels,
with the red of iron and the gilding on it enamels. On the other hand, the call style of the
pink family demanded the use of the colors «foreigners». This style was one of the most
successful and durable innovations in the XVIII century. Inside the porcelains in this style,
they should be distinguished 2 main categories: the first one, composed by the porcelains
dedicated to the Chinese imperial court in those that dominates the refinement, of design
Chinese as much in the decoration as in the form; the second, product of the western
influence; this was dedicated to the external trade and it is the one that is represented in
Venezuela. In the decoration of these are imposed so much the thematic one Chinese as the
European and in occasions both they fuse. When concluding the XVIII century 2 new
derived styles of the pink family they appeared: the rose medallion and the Mandarin; these
were conceived for the export and they reached their acme for 1800. The Chinese porcelain
was popular in Venezuela until the same moment of the Independence; later, for political or
economic reasons, it disappeared of the local market.
Pottery of Holland, France and England: In the county of Venezuela the first potteries
coming from Holland appeared toward the second half of the XVI century. Many arrived
through the incursions of the Dutchmen in the oriental or western coast of the country and
not through the legal trade. She/he should remember that Curazao was the most important
center for the distribution of the «pottery of Holland» in the American territory, especially
in the area of the Caribbean. To the Venezuelan costs secret Dutch ships arrived bringing
smuggling merchandise to be able to be taken the salt of the mines of Araya and the
tobacco of the siembras of Barinas. To Venezuela they arrived: plates, cups of tea, sumps,
almofias, jars, services of coffee, fusayolas, etc. In their majority, these pieces were made
with the technique of the application of the blue cobalt and the enamel estannífero. Almost
all the plates present a singular characteristic: the one of having been marked to the reverse
for small holes, due to the retirement of the enamel during the cooking. The dominant
decoration was the Chinese one. J.M. Does Cruxent point out the existence of sandstone
flowerpots (flint?) German in Venezuelan territory, during this period. Maybe it could
arrive together with the potteries of Holland. The imports of French pottery carried out
during the Colony in Venezuela, were scarce. The oldest testimonies have been the
flowerpots found in the castles of Guayana: fragments of pottery of Ruán, dated by the
middle of the XVII century. Later on they were received: big plates, soup, plates, bacines of
shaving, etc. The ornamental technique more employee was the one of «great fire». Maybe
some of these potteries came from Nevers, Auxerre, Ancy-he-Franc, him Château
Chevannes, etc. The English pieces generally entered to the country during the colonial
time for illicit trade, or for the Spanish government's same personeros that you/they brought
some. Most of those that ended up when concluding the XVIII century, took a decoration
that reflected the industrial revolution. In order to reducing the colored one by hand, for
1750, the Englishmen had invented the technique of the transferred drawing, which is
represented on copies that were in Venezuela.
XIX century
She/he has not still been carried out on purpose a complete and deep investigation of the
ceramic manufactured in Venezuela or of the one cared during the national time, although a
good contribution exists in Manuel R. Rivero book, Potteries and porcelains in Venezuela.
The national production, call «ceramic or Creole pottery», it was limited to the domestic
use and it was not considered of value. However, the production of bricks, losetas,
continued tiles, tiles, etc., indispensable in architecture. The alfares of the urban centers
continued attached to the Spanish tradition and in general, European; while the alfares of
the interior, disseminated in rural areas, conserved indigenous features and they even ended
up producing a «mestizo ceramic». As for the pottery and porcelain cared to the country
during the XIX century, it can be said that great part came of England, following him in
importance, the comings of France, Italy and Germany. The collection of Red Arístides,
that of Manuel Second Sánchez, that of John Boulton and other more, they form today the
most important starting point for the study of the ceramic of the XIX century.

Potteries and porcelains of England: During the colonial time these ceramic were not very
frequent. In fact the English trade was intensified soon after the War of Independence,
when Venezuela stopped to care Spanish articles. For the years of 1816 at 1819, they
appear registered the entrances of several English schooners that took among other
shipments, English pottery for Venezuela. It is necessary to point out the pottery
responsibilities that Venezuela made to England, especially those that had propagandistic or
commemorative ends, and that they received the name of «speaking pottery» (term that
derived of the French speaking faïence, because it was the French pottery in fact,
particularly that of Nevers, of final of the XVIII century and principles of the XIX century,
the one that put the commemorative potteries that you/they mentioned to the Revolution in
fashion). Apart from many collections matters, good copies are today in the Fundación
John Boulton and in the Museum of Art Colonial Fifth of Anauco. It should be indicated
that among that «speaking pottery», which understood plates, cups, jars and other
recipients, the following inscriptions in Spanish were frequent: «Memoria/de the action
dada/En the Sieviga de/Santa Martha for el/General Carreño», «Alive Venezuela», «Alive
the Republic of Colombia». Besides allegories and shields, many potteries took the national
heroes' portraits or of famous characters. Many of these portraits that represent Simón
Bolívar or Antonio José of Sucre, have a great resemblance with the same English
engravings of the time; these last ones surely served as model. The portraits are colored, in
general, by hand using oxides of colors (you color enameled) on the pottery or porcelain.